They frequently jump between being in a relationship to being friends because they share the same religion; they are both Jewish. They are the stereotypical relationship between the good girl and the bad boy, also between Jewish teens. Though they are not together, Puck is seen to believe he and Rachel have a strong connection, saying that they are both "hot Jews."

Contents

Overview

Puck, a popular football player in the school, routinely throws slushies at Rachel's face in Season One in the first episode, Pilot. In Mash-Up, he has a dream about her and realizes that they are both "hot Jews" and should start dating to make his mother happy. He asks her out and the two begin a short-lived relationship. The relationship ends, however, when Rachel breaks up with him when she realizes she still has feelings for Finn and Puck has feelings for Quinn.

However, in Bad Reputation, Rachel still harbors feelings for Puck, even stating she is "turned on" by his "bad boy" image.

Later in Special Education, she makes out with Puck to level the playing field when she discovers the scandal between Finn and Santana. Puck also sticks up for Rachel when he can, like when Santana claims that no one likes Rachel and that she is only put up with because of her voice. He states that he likes Rachel, though its unknown if it is meant as friends or romantically. Rachel is also the only one that Puck allows to call him by his real/first name, Noah, which he also doesn't seem to mind.

Episodes

After Artie says that they need Rachel back in the club, Puck is the only one to agree with him and says that she can sing. (The Rhodes Not Taken)

Puck getting slushied

Puck pursues Rachel after he has a dream about her that makes him realize she was a "hot Jew" and that "the good lord wanted [him] to get in her pants". The two are seen sitting next to each other during Bust a Move and later make out while working on mash up ideas together. Puck then sings Sweet Caroline to Rachel, in front of the Glee Club in order to prove that he can handle her personality. Later, Puck gets slushied and Rachel helps him to wash it out of his hair, after which he apologizes for throwing slushies at her. By the end of the episode, Rachel ends the relationship due to the fact that they both have feelings for other people, (Rachel for Finn and Puck for Quinn, respectively) though both seem to be upset by the break up.

Rachel imagines Finn when they kissed. When they break up, Puck tells Rachel he was turned off that he wouldn't let her get to second base and complains, "How am I supposed to build a rep when I can't even hold on to a chick like you?" Rachel replies by telling him he's "kind of a jerk." She offers her friendship, but he isn't interested; this may have been a way of concealing genuine upset rather than dislike. (Mash-Up)

They shake hands after Puck hands Mr. Schue the money for their bus to Sectionals. This is proof that they have become friends after their break-up. (Wheels)

They sit next to each other in the choir room, and both take part in the Lean On Me performance for Quinn and Finn. (Ballad)

Rachel and Puck almost make out when she is making a music video for Run Joey Run with him. Puck also moved the Glist off of Rachel's locker so she wouldn't see it, saying he was being a man. Puck also confided to Rachel about him wanting to be good and Rachel did the same.
The Run Joey Run music video may have had three leading men, but it was obvious that Puck had the longest screen time out of the three of them.
Rachel uses Puck to boost her reputation as a bad girl. Her Run Joey Run video has Puck, Jesse, and Finn all in it as the male lead. She did this to make her reputation, as a bad girl more visible to everyone and get higher on the Glist. In addition, while talking about the Run Joey Run music video, Puck asked Rachel if he will have the chance to kill her in the video. After watching it, he seems to be angry (along with Jesse and Finn) and states that when they were shooting the video he had a feeling that it is not going to be good. (Bad Reputation)

They are paired together for the song One and Puck holds Rachel very close, which they both seem to like, and Puck also watches Rachel dance, while he smiles. (Laryngitis)

Puck was visibly the angriest member of the Glee Club when Rachel got egged by her ex-boyfriend Jesse and Vocal Adrenaline, gathering up the boys to go beat Jesse because of this. Puck also tried, in his own way, to make her feel better (e.g. when Mr.Schue asked Rachel to use the word Funk in a sentence. In which she said, "This cheese smells funky". And Puck replied: "That's 'cause it's fromunda Cheese". To which Rachel yelled, "Shut it, Puckerman!") (Funk)

Rachel was concerned when she finds out that Puck was brought to juvie and she asked when he would be back. (Duets)

Finn officially referred to them as "Puckleberry" in this episode, confirming their relationship name. (Furt)

When Rachel is hurt by Finn's sexual past with Santana, Puck asks her what is wrong. He then comforts her, and Rachel notices that he has gotten 'buffer' when Rachel is holding his arm. Later, when Santana states that nobody actually likes Rachel, Puck is the only one out of the whole Glee Club to come into her defense, saying "That's not true. I kinda like her". It is unknown if he meant it as friendship status or more. We find out that they have made out during the week Rachel was upset at Finn, though Puck was not able to go through with sleeping with her behind Finn's back, because he had already done it once (with Quinn) and couldn't do it again. (Special Education)

Rachel talks about wanting Finn back.
Rachel and Puck sing Need You Now to show the football players what Glee is about, but also to satisfy Rachel's motives to make Finn jealous. During the duet, Puck is looking at Rachel the entire time. He also defended Glee when football players ridiculed the Glee Club. When Finn asked Puck why he sang a duet with Rachel, a flashback showed Rachel asking him to help her in the duet and he looked very eager to do it. He also admits that he has feelings for her to Finn. Before the football game, Puck grabs Rachel's helmet, looks her in the eye, and asks her if she is ready. She responds "Let's kick some ass!" and he pats her on the helmet. (Need You Now)

Rachel, at first, looks shocked that Puck was singing to Lauren, but really got into the song he was singing; clapping and dancing along. At the end of the performance Rachel gives Puck a high five. (Silly Love Songs)

They are paired together for Sing, and Puck puts his arm around Rachel's shoulder. (Comeback)

Puck calls Rachel, "My hot little Jewish-American princess," and helps to make her party more fun by giving her some advice. (Blame It on the Alcohol)

Puck never put his hand up to go against Rachel's idea of doing original songs and was the first one to get up to hug her when she won the MVP award and presented her heartfelt speech. (Original Song)

Puck tells Rachel that she shouldn't get a nose job because it makes her seem less hot, and because her nose is a symbol of their Jewish heritage. He wants to convince Rachel to not change the way she looks. He then helps Kurt to organize Rachel's "Barbravention." He may have driven her home but this is unconfirmed. (Born This Way)

Puck takes Rachel home after the funeral of Sue's younger sister. (Funk)

He thought Finn was cheating on Rachel, when Finn asked him for advice on condoms, and said it was uncool. When Finn said he wanted to know because he wanted to have sex with Rachel, Puck said "Between me and you, always thought it would be me". (The First Time)

When Rachel is walking down the hallway, Puck winks at her. When Rachel sings Cry, it corresponded with Puck's failure at his Geography test. (Choke)

Puck is the only Glee Club member who attended the Anti-Prom party that Rachel, Blaine and Kurt organized. She looked excited that he was going to her Anti-Prom. (Prom-asaurus)

Rachel is one of Puck's friends waiting for his Geography test result. And when the teacher comes out with the paper, Rachel tries to take the test paper to see the result first. Later, Puck, Rachel, Finn, Quinn, Mercedes, Santana, and Mike graduate at the graduation ceremony.

During the train station scene when everybody was saying/waving goodbye to Rachel, Puck makes a heart with his hands and mouths/says "We love you!" with New Directions. (Goodbye)

When Rachel catches the bouquet after Sue throws it, Puck can be seen smiling and looking at her. (I Do)

They both come back to Finn's memorial. Also, they both sing a solos. (The Quarterback)

During Just Give Me a Reason performance, Rachel seems to be happy that Puck and Quinn are together. She looks also a little sad. Probably because she thinks about Finn. (New Directions)

Puck returns with the rest of the alumni to help Rachel in recruiting new members for the reinstated glee club. He sings along, with the other alumni, in Take On Me. Puck walks in the choir room, as a harassed Roderick walks out. He tells Rachel that she scared him off. Puck and Rachel dance in Home (Season Six). (Homecoming)

Trivia

They are both Jewish.

This is the first of Puck's two "one episode" relationships. The second was with Mercedes in Laryngitis. However, this one was real, with Puck having feelings towards Rachel, as his relationship with Mercedes was just to get his popularity back.

They both have had a crush on a teacher. (Rachel on Will and Puck on Shelby)

Although Rachel hadn't any relationship with Will, Puck had with Shelby.

“Sometimes, things are so different that they don’t seem like they go together, but the big difference between them, is what makes them great”. - This is the quote Will said about a mash-up, which also describes the relationship between Rachel and Puck. Apparently the episode where Puckleberry dated is titled 'Mash-Up' which leads to the possibility that the said episode is named after Puck and Rachel's relationship.

Rachel is the only one continuously calling Puck by his real name, which is Noah.

Every time Puck has a scene in a bedroom it is connected to Rachel, with the exception of a flashback in Journey of him having sex with Quinn and in I Kissed a Girl and studying with Quinn in Goodbye: He dreamt of Rachel in his bedroom (Mash-Up); Working on a glee assignment then making out in Rachel's bedroom (Mash-Up); Rachel was convincing him to help her at her Bad Reputation project in Rachel's bedroom (Bad Reputation); Singing 'Run Joey Run' in his bedroom which is orchestrated by Rachel (Bad Reputation); Made out with Rachel in her bedroom. (Special Education)

Puck admits that he kinda likes Rachel, to defend her when Santana tells her that everyone just "pretends to like [her]." (Special Education)

Puckleberry was the first couple which its name is the combination of both names.

They are usually paired up in group numbers where they are wearing white (i.e. One, One of Us, etc.) or when Rachel is not paired with Finn (Sing!).